Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Taoiseach that these are utterly exorbitant pensions. However, he has not told us what the Government will do about it. When Fianna Fáil was in power, it took a huge public outcry and much political pressure for it to introduce an 80% levy on bankers' bonuses in 2010. At that time, the Opposition of the day was outraged by the failure of the Government to act. In fact, the current Minister for Health called at that time for a 99% levy. We were sent to this House to legislate; that is our job. It is not enough for the Taoiseach to say that we can do nothing about this and that the Minister for Finance is constrained. Legislation can be introduced, and it is up to the Taoiseach and his Government to do that.

Second, the other issue with these huge payments is the fact that these banks are being funded by the taxpayers. That is deeply offensive. These are banks that will not give medium and small businesses credit or mortgage relief to citizens who are in mortgage distress. Food kitchens are opening in small towns and cities throughout the State, yet some of our Ministers earn more than their counterparts in Europe. The Taoiseach earns more than whoever will be elected the new US President today. This has nothing to do with the budget, but with an emergency that has arisen. Will the Taoiseach commit to introducing a levy to deal with these utterly exorbitant payments, as he described them?

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